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SCSI Tapes and flashing lights

colin_marr
Level 5
I have several backups that go to two tape Bu drives. I run them over the night.

The Tape bu units each have two lights. One seems to indicate that the tape is inserted and the other indictes activity.

When I come in the morning one of the units always has one of the "Inserted" lights flashing and the other just has the "Inserted" light solidly lit. However when I come in after the weekend I see both "Inserted" lights are just solidly "lit". These are not the reading drive or activity lights (as far as I know). That is another light beside it.

I look at the logs for the jobs when this light is flashing and there are no jobs running.
I don't understand why one unit flashes in the morning and the other does not, and why on mondays after the weekend it is just a solid light. It seems as if over the week-end it stops flashing becasue it has enough time to do what ever it is doing. But when I look at the jobs when It is flashing everything is finished.

Any help in solving this mystery ??

thanks
5 REPLIES 5

Guest_User
Level 4
What brand and model is the tape drive? The drive's documentation (or support website) will explain the lights.

Asma_Tamboli
Level 6
Hello Colin,

Could you please update us on the issue?

Thanks!

colin_marr
Level 5
Well I went to the web site of the tape unit and pulled out the manual.

It didnt really have any further explanation.

It says that it either means,
Hardware fault but this is when it is flashing rapidly, and it is not, Plus it seems to do a fine backup.
or you have inserted a prerecorded audio cartrage, (I dont know what that is perhaps if you want it as an aswering machine on)

No other answers.
Again the symptoms are flashing yellow light slowly and if you leave it long enought it goes away. Eg weekend or xmas.

According to the manual this drive is one of the following,
Seagate Data Drive dds,dds-dc,dds-2 and dds-3 tape drives

If no one response I suppose you can consider this issue closed as it looks like no one has any answers for me.

Regards

A_van_der_Boom
Level 6
There are tape-unit brands who start flashing when they need to be cleaned. Perhaps that needs to be done with yours. An explanation of the led's should be present in the manual.

Regards
A van der Boom

colin_marr
Level 5
Thank you.

Yes I do regular cleaning. And have read the manual. It doesnt seem to show me what this particular flashing lights are for.

Regards